Internal-combustion engine.



H. H. HOOD.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. 1915.

Figi. 50

Hari H. HOHC y? H. H. HOOD.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. 1915.

Patented May14,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 H..H. HOOD.

mEnNALcon/xusnon ENGINE.

Y APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, I9I5. 1,266,124. Patented May14,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- II. iIlv INM im @FFCE HARRY H. HOOD, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO E. F. HEREMNN.

INIEBNAIPCMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, i918.

Application led July 28, 1915- Serial No. 42,271. l

To all rwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY H. Hoon, a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the. following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to internal combustion engines.'

ln internal combustion engines of the spontaneous combustion type, or the type in which the combustible iiuid is compressed above the ignition point, the economy and eiciency are dependent upon the compression of the explosive mixture in the working cylinder, and the fuller the utilization of the maximum pressure of the previously compressed explosive mixture in the working cylinder, the greater the economy. To attain high compression and economy, it has heretofore been the practice to compress the air separately before admitting it to the power cylinder.

@ne object of the invention is to provide an improved internal combustion engine in which high. and effective compression of the explosive mixture is attained without the necessity of complicated auxiliary devices, and which is economical and efficient in operation. y

A desideratum in engines of this type is to avoid the necessity of large pistons and cylinders. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved engine of this Jtype in which the fluid maybe compressed to a high degree with small working parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved internal combustion engine which is simple in construction and eiiicient and economical in operation.

A feature of the invention consists in providing a piston or means for displacing substantially the entire charge of fuel which has been compressed to the .working cylinder by a preponderating expelling force, as distinguished from flow, so that it will be possible to displace and utilize substantially the entire compressed charge of fuel'in the working cylinder during a power stroke. By utilizing such displacing or expelling means, the entire charge of compressed fuel may be forced into the working cylinder to operate the piston therein during a power-stroke, either at the beginning of the power-stroke or gradually under control of the valve controlling the inlet to the Working cylinder.

Furthermore, by employing displacing means for the purpose of forcing substantially the entire compressed charge of vfuel into the working cylinder, the necessity of providing a compressor of excessive capacity will be avoided and the compressed charge of fuel may be forced into the working cylinder under maximum pressure of the charge and thls results in high eiliciency and economy 1n the operation of the engine.

This means of preponderating force for displacing the fuel under compression, is quick-acting, so thatl a single compressor may be used to alternately supply fuel under compression directly to several working cylinders, and the use of auxiliary compressors and cooling devices is rendered unnecessary.

They invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly definedby claims at the conclusion' hereof.

ln the drawings: Figure 1 is a central vertical section of an engine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the mechanism for operating the fuel intake valves for the working cylinders. `Figj is a View, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating the mechanism for operating the exhaust valve for one of the working cylinders. Fig. 4 is a vertical section, showing a modified form of the invention.

'The engine comprises a combined base and crank-case 10, a casing mounted thereon in which a central compression cylinder 11 and a pair of working or power-cylinders 12 are formed. A piston 14 is fitted in each of the power-cylinders, and a piston 15 is tted in the fuel-compression cylinder 1l. A shaft 16 is journaled in the crank-case 10 and is 'provided with a crank 17, to which pitmen 18 for the pistons 14 -in the power-cylinders, and a pitman 19 for the compression-piston 15 are concentrically connected, so that all of these pistons will move in unison. The

upper end of the power-cylinders is formed by a head 20 secured to the cylinder-casing 12. The passage of the fluid to the powercylinders .is controlled in a manner vthat will cause the pistons to operate upon the four cycle principle. During the first stroke, the piston draws a charge of air into the cylinder; during the second, the charge is compressed; during the third, combustion occurs; and during the fourth, the products of lli) combustion are exhausted, but with this invention the valve-mechanism is also designed to cause one of the power-pistons to be operating upon the third stroke while the other is operated upon the rst, so that there will be one power-stroke during each revolution of the crank-shaft. The compressorpiston 15 is operated upon the two-cycle principle and the fluid passing to the compression-cylinder 11 is controlled so that during each down-stroke or out-stroke of the piston, a charge of uid will be drawn into the cylinder and during each up or instroke the charge will be compressed. As a result of this operation, a single compressor serves to successively compress charges of fluid for alternate delivery to the power cylinders.

A spring-closed check-valve 21 is provided at the upper end of each power cylinder to admit air during each first stroke of the piston therein. serves as an exhaust-valve for controlling the discharge of the products of combustion during each fourth stroke of the power piston in each cylinder. A valve-operating shaft 23 is suitably journaled in the crankcase and is operated by a gear 24 keyed to the crank-shaft 16 and a gear-wheel 25 secured to shaft This gearing serves to rotate the valve shaft once for every two revolutions of the crank-shaft. A cam 26 is adapted to lift a rod 27, the upper end of which is connected to a rocker-lever 28 which is pivotally sustained at 29 and is so adapted that it will engage the stem 30 of valve 22 for opening the exhaust valve against the force of spring 31. Such a valve-operating mechanism is provided for each working cylinder. rlhe cams 26 for operating the exhaust valves respectively, are oppositely disposed Ion the valve-operating shaft 23, so that the power-piston in one cylinder 12 will be operating on the second stroke (compression-stroke), while the other will be operating on the fourth stroke. As a result, one of the power-pistons will be compressing a charge of air, while the other is making the exhaust stroke.

The compression-piston 15, working in the cylinder 11, serves to compress fuel to a sufhciently high degree to cause spontaneous combustion when'the charge is delivered to the lair under compression in one of the power-cylinders. A pipe 33 delivers gas to the crank-case which is utilized as a reservoir for the fuel, and a spring-closed checkvalve 34 in the piston 15 of the compressor admits fuel to the cylinder 11 from the crank-case during each down or out stroke of the compressor-piston. The compressed 'fuel in cylinder 11 is forced through a spring-closed check-valve 35 to a chamber 36. Check-valve 35 preventsv back-flow of the fuel during the intake stroke of piston A spring-closed check-valve 22 -to the upper end of said plunger.

Laeenaa 15. Chamber 36 is connected with each of the power-cylinders by a duct 37 to deliver fuel thereto, and the passage of fuel from chamber 36 to the power cylinders isv controlled by intake-valves 38 which are held normally closed by a spring 39. Each. intake valve 38 is opened to permit fuel to pass from chamber 36 alternately to the working-cylinders, by mechanism exemplified and shown in F ig. 2, which comprises a lever 40 which is suitably pivoted at 41 and is adapted to engage the lower end of the stem of the intake-valve and rod 42 connected to the distal end of lever 40 and provided with a roller 43 at its lower end, which isoperated by a cam 44 on shaft 23. Cams '44 are formed to properly control the displacement of fuel into the working cylinders so that it will be supplied to the working cylinder more or less gradually to maintain combustion during the working stroke and so as to attain efficient combustion. The cams 44 for they valves 38, respectively, are oppositely disposed on shaft 23 to cause fuel to be supplied alternately to the power cylinders, at the commencement of the third stroke. A spring-closed check-valve 45 is provided in each duct 37 to prevent backflow of duid from each power cylinder to the chamber 36.

Chamber 36 is formed in head 2O and a plunger or sliding abutment 46 is. provided in said chamber. This plunger or abutment is normally pressed toward the lower end of chamber 36 by a powerful spring 47 applied rlhe force of spring 47 is suicient to operate the plunger to displace the contents of chamber 36 into either one of the working-cylinders against the maximum pressure of fluid in the power-cylinders. 1n other words, the force applied to the plunger 46 by spring'47 is preponderant over the maximum pressure of fluid in the chamber 36 and in working cylinders. As a result, when the intake valve for one of the working cylinders is open, which occurs after a charge has been forced into chamber 36, plunger 46 will be operated to displace substantially the entire charge of compressed fuel in the chamber 36 to the power cylinder under Ycontrol of the intake-valve 38. This displacement results in full utilization of the compressed charge of fuel in the working cylinder under the maximum pressure, and makes it possible to` force the fuel into the working Acylinder at the desired rate of ow to continue combustion and the development of power in the power-cylinder during the working stroke and accordin to the combustibility of the fuel used. T is 'displacement also renders a single compressor available to supplycompressed charges of fuel alternately to the working cylinders, because the compressor compresses a charge in chamber 36 during The upper end of plunger 46 is enlarged,

as at 48 and fitted to slide in a guide-cylinder 49 which contains the spring 47. A cap 50 on the cylinder 4 9 serves as an abutment for the upper end of the spring. Air ducts 51 are formed in the plunger to prevent the formation of air pockets between the enlarged end 48 of the piston and the cylinder.

The operation of the improved engine will be as follows:

Assuming the engine to have been started, during each down or out stroke of the pistons, a charge of gas will be admitted through check-valve 34 to the compressor; cylinder, and during the up or instroke that charge will be compressed and forced into chamber 36. This charge will be compressed suiiciently to force plunger 46 upwardly against the force of spring 47, and will be retained in chamber 36 until one of the intake valves 38 is opened to deliver the fuel to the cylinder in which the piston is on its third stroke. During the rst stroke of that piston air will be drawn into the power -cylinder and during the second stroke of that piston in the power-cylinder a charge of air will be compressed in that cylinder. During the third stroke of the piston in that working cylinder, its intake valve 38 will be opened and the entire charge of fuel under compression in chamber 36 will be displaced from said chamber into the power cylinder by plunger 4G and spring 47, thus causing charge under maximum compression to be fully utilized in the power-cylinder. During the third stroke of the power piston, combustion will' spontaneously occur from the admission of the compressed charge of fuel to the compressed air in the working cylinder, and thus impart the power-stroke to the piston. During the fourth stroke of the piston in that working cylinder, the eX- h aust valve 22 will be opened and the products of combustion will be discharged. During this stroke, the compressor will compress another charge of fuel which will be displaced into the other working cylinder' which will operate in similar manner.

The invention thus exemplies an improved internal combustion engine in which the fuel is compressed in a chamber and in which substantially the entire charge of compressed fuel will be alternately displaced into the power cylinders, and as a result, the entire charges of fuel compressed by the compressor will be fully utilized in the successive o perations of the working pistons. There is no loss of pressure, resulting from an equalization of the presire in the working cylinder with that in the entire fuelv the chamber from which( the compressed fuel is taken, thus making it possible to utilize full charges :under maximum pressure directly from the compressor to the power cylinder. This also makes it possible to successively displace charges from a single compressor to a plurality of cylinders. As a result of this operation and construction, it also becomes possible to operate the engine economically and to attain high eficiency without repeatedly compressing and cooling the fuel, and thus auxiliary compressors and cooling devices are rendered unnecessary. Y

A modication of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the intake-valve '34 for the fuel is provided in displacing plunger 46 and the cylinder 49 is utilized to conduct fuel to the compression-chamber. A gas supply pipe 33 is connected to the cylinder 49. ln this modification, the displacing plunger is, in effect, disposed in a continuation of the compressor cylinder and the check-valve between the compressorcylinder and the chamber 36 is dispensed with. The intake-valves 38 are mounted in the 'cylinder head 20 and are operated by levers 40 to control the passagevof fuel from the chamber 36 through ducts 37 to the working cylinders. vThese intake-valves 3@ are normally closed by springs 39 and are opened by levers 40. These levers are operated by camsl 44 and rods 42 and may be mounted similarly to the levers 28 employed for operating the eXhaust-valves in Figs. l and 3. Spring-closed check-valves 45 are mounted in the cylinder-casing between the working cylindersand the compressor-cylinder to prevent the back-flow of fluid from the working cylinders in the compression chamber.

In operation, this modification is substantially the same as that heretofore described, except that the gas supply enters the compressor-cylinder through the check-valve in the displacing-plunger instead of one inthe compressor-piston.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a working cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder, means for delivering air to the cylinder for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compressor, a chamber for the fuel compressed by the compressor, and means for forcibly displacing the compressed charge of fuel in said chamber into the working cylinder.

2. lln an internal combustion. engine, the combination of a Working cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder, means for delivering air to the cylinder for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compressor, a storage chamber fora charge of fuel compressed by the compressor, and means for forcibly displacing substantially the entire charge of compressed fuel in said chamber into the Working cylinder.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a Working cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder, means for delivering air. to the cylinder for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compressor, an independent storage chamber for the fuel compressed by the compressor, a plunger in said chamber, and means for operating the plunger to displace thecharge of fuel under maximum compression into said chamber and into the Working cylinder.

fl. ln an internal combustion engine, the combination of a Working cylinder, a pump cylinder, a piston operating in each of said cylinders, a cylindrical reservoir having a piston, means associated With said piston for automatically exerting pressure upon gaseous fuel compressed in said pump cylinder and admitted to said reservoir, valve mechanism for controlling the passage of compressed fuel from said pump into said reservoir and from said reservoir into the Working cylinder, means for admitting air into said Working cylinder, and suitable synchronizing connections between said pump, said Working cylinder, and said valve mechanism whereby a charge of compressed fuel is admitted to said Working cylinder once in every four strokes of said king cylinder. l 5. ln an ipyeiijdl combustion engine, the

combination f a Working cylinder, a piston operating in aid cylinder, means for delivering air there o for compression therein, a fuel compressor driven in synchornism with the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compressor, said compressor being adapted to compress fuel to a higher degree than the air is compressed in the Worlnng cylinder, a receiver for the fuel compressed by the compressor, a plunger in said receiver, means for operating said plunger to eXpel substantially the entire charge of fuel from the accumulator to the Worin'ng cylinder for each power stroke, and means for controlling the flow of fuel from the receiver to the Working cylinder.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a Working cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder, means for delivering air to the cylinder for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compressor, a chamber for a charge of fuel compressed medias bythe compressor, a plunger in said chamber and means for operating the plunger to displace substantially the entire charge ofy fuel under compression in said chamber to the working cylinder.

7. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a Working cylinder, a plston operating in said cylinder, means for delivering air to the cylinder for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compressor, a chamber for the fluid compressed b lthe compressor, a plunger for displacing a c varge of fuel under compression in said chamber into the Working cylinder, said plunger being operated by the pressure in said chamber and means for operating the plunger to displace the compressed charge in said chamber into the Working cylinder.

8. vln an internal combustion engine, the combination of a Working cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder, means for delivering air to the cylinder for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compressor, a chamber for a charge of fuel compressed by the compressor, a plunger in said chamber, and a spring for operating the plunger to displace a charge compressed in the chamber into the Working cylinder.

9. ln an internal combustion engine, the combination of a Working cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder, means for delivering air to the cylinder for the compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compreor, a chamber for a charge of fuel compressed by the compressor, 'a plunger in said chamber movable to displace substantially the entire contents of the chamber into the Working cylinder, and a springl for operating Athe plunger to displace the charge in the chamber against pressure of Huid in the Working cylinder.

l0. In an internal combustion engine, the 114) combination of a Working cylinder, a piston operatingin said cylinder, means for delivering air to the cylinder for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compressor, 115 a chamber for the fuel compressed by the compressor, means for forcibly displacing the compressed fuel in said chamber into the Working cylinder, and an engine-operated valve for controlling the flow of fuel from said chamber to the Working cylinder.

ll. ln an internal combustion engine, the combination of a Working cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder, means for delivering air to the cylinder for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compressor, a chamber for the fuel compressed by the compressor, a plunger in said chamber, a spring for operating the-plunger to lll() vpressor,

flow of fuel from said chamber to the working cylinder.

12. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a Working cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder, means for delivering air to the cylinder for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the coma chamber for the fuel compressed by the compressor, means for forcibly displacing the compressed fuel from said chamber to the Working cylinder, an engine-Operated valve for controlling the passage of fuel to the Working cylinder and a checkvalve for preventing back-flow of the fluid from the Working cylinder to said chamber.

13. In .an internal combustion engine, the combination of a Working cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder, means for de: livering air to the cylinder for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compressor, a chamber for the fuel compressed by the compressor, a plunger for forcibly displacing the compressed fuel from said chamber to the working cylinder, a spring for operating said plunger, an engine-operated valve for controlling the passage of fuel to the Working cylinder, and a checkvalve for preventing backflow of the fluid from the Working c linder to said 14. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a plurality of working cylinders, a piston in each of said cylinders, means for delivering the air to the cylinders for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, fuel to the compressor, a chamber or fuel compressed by the compressor, ducts from said chamber to the Working cylinders, respectively, and means for forcibly displacing the compressed 'charge of fuel in said chamber alternately into the Working cyliners.

15. In an internal combustion engine,'the combination ofa plurality of Working cylinders, a piston in each of said cylinders,

chamber.

means for su plying/ means for delivering the air to the cylinders for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for su plying fuel to the compressor, a chamber or fuel compressed by the compressor, ducts from said chamber to the Working cylinders, re-

spectively, a plunger in said chamber, and means for operating the plunger to displace the charges of fuel under compression in said chamber alternately into the Working cylinders.

16. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a plurality of Working cylinders, a piston in each of said cylinders, means for delivering air to the cylinders for compression therein, a compressor operated by the engine, means for supplying fuel to the compressor, pressed by the compressor, ducts from said chamber to the Working cylinders, respectively, a plunger in said chamber, a spring for operating the plunger to displace a charge of compressed fuel from said chamvber and means for controlling the fluid in the chamber to pass alternately to the Working cylinders.

17. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a pair of Working cylinders, a pump cylinder, a piston operating in each of said cylinders, a cylindrical reservoir having a piston, means associated with said piston for automatically exerting pressure upon gaseous fuel compressed in said lpump cylinder and admitted to said reservoir, valve mechanism for controlling the passage of compressed fuel from said pump into said reservoir and from said reservoir into said working cylinders, means for admita chamber for fuel com-- ting air into said Working cylinders, and

'suitable synchronizing connections between said pump, said Working cylinders, and said valve mechanism whereby a charge of comressed fuel is admitted to each of said wor g cylinders alternately once in every four strokes of said Working cylinders.

MILDRED STUMPF, FRED GERLAOH. 

